Fritz Dominates Auger-Aliassime and Advances to His First Final of the Season in Stuttgart
Taylor Fritz and Félix Auger-Aliassime competed for the first ticket to the final of the ATP 250 tournament in Stuttgart. On the German grass, the two had faced each other three times before this semifinal, with the American leading 2-1 in victories.
However, it was the Canadian who won their most recent encounter at the United Cup earlier this season. In a match where the servers were on point (25 aces in total, including 15 for Auger-Aliassime), Fritz proved opportunistic and broke at the best possible moment, at 5-4 in his favor in the first set, to take the lead.
The second set was a chess match, with both players holding their ground.
Ultimately, it was in the tie-break, on his second match point, that Fritz sealed the victory (6-4, 7-6 in 1 hour and 28 minutes).
Fritz advances to his first final since the ATP Finals in Turin at the end of last season and is now guaranteed to re-enter the top 4, surpassing Novak Djokovic, once the tournament concludes. To claim a 9th title (and his 4th on grass), he will have to defeat either Alexander Zverev or Ben Shelton.
Stuttgart
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